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    Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust
    Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust
    Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust
    Ebook111 pages1 hour

    Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust

    By Hédi Fried

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    ‘There are no stupid questions, nor any forbidden ones, but there are some questions that have no answer.’

    Hédi Fried was nineteen when the Nazis snatched her family from their home in Eastern Europe and transported them to Auschwitz, where her parents were murdered and she and her sister were forced into hard labour until the end of the war.

    Now ninety-eight, she has spent her life educating young people about the Holocaust and answering their questions about one of the darkest periods in human history. Questions like, ‘How was it to live in the camps?’, ‘Did you dream at night?’, ‘Why did Hitler hate the Jews?’, and ‘Can you forgive?’.

    With sensitivity and complete candour, Fried answers these questions and more in this deeply human book that urges us never to forget and never to repeat.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherScribe Publications
    Release dateJan 27, 2019
    ISBN9781925693447
    Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust
    Author

    Hédi Fried

    Hédi Fried (1924–2022) was an author and psychologist. She was deeply committed to working for democratic values and against racism. She was born in the town of Sighet, in Romania, was transported to Auschwitz in 1944, and worked in several labour camps, eventually ending up in Bergen-Belsen. After liberation, she moved to Sweden with her sister. Her bestselling autobiography, Fragments of a Life: the road to Auschwitz, was published in English and Swedish in the 1990s.

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    Reviews for Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust

    4.5/5

    52 ratings15 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust is an important book that everyone should read. Having a first-hand account of questions that people may be scared to actually ask is invaluable. I could see this book being a good companion to studying World War II and the Holocaust in school, particularly because the answers are written in an approachable way.
    • 5/5
      This is an amazing book that should go down in history along with Anne Frank's. It's a quick read consisting entirely of questions and answers about what it was like to live in and survive the Holocaust. With few Holocaust survivors remaining, fascism and anti-Semitism on the rise, and Holocaust denialism increasing, this is an incredibly important read. I can't recommend it enough. Hedi's answers are honest and straightforward while still remaining eloquent and measured.
    • 4/5
      This is a non-fiction work written by holocaust survivor Hedi Fried. She collected questions she was asked at lectures along with her answers. A Table of Contents is included at the beginning that lists all of the questions. Fried's approach is direct and reflects different aspects of her experiences. This would make a good companion to any study of WWII and the people effected by the war.
    • 3/5
      The generation who lived through the atrocities of WWII is aging and dwindling. Their stories are too important to disappear with them because they remind us of the evil man is capable of, the horrific tragedy of genocide, and ultimately of the resilience and hope of the human spirit. They give us first person insights that personalize the abstract, making the truth immediate. It is impossible to look away in the face of such stories. Hedi Fried has spent years teaching young people about the Holocaust and her experiences in Auschwitz and other labor camps. In Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust, she has gathered common questions and her answers to them together in one place, addressing the inhumanity of what was done to millions of people, the motivations behind this evil, and how she lives her life now with such horror in her past.Fried has previously written an autobiography so this memoir is very different, both in form and in function. This is meant as a teaching tool, an aide to ensure that something like the Holocaust can never happen again to anyone anywhere. It is set up in a question and answer format. The questions are pretty basic and the short answers are interesting and informative. Sometimes there isn't an answer, per se, but only speculation and guesswork, especially for the more philosophical questions. Questions range from "Were you always hungry?" to "Did you dream at night?" to "How could an entire people get behind Hitler?" and "Do you hate the Germans?" The answers are easily understood and processed by younger readers. They are honest and unflinching and they boil down Fried's experiences to their very essence without needing to describe every detail to get the point across.The questions and answers range across Fried's entire life, drawing a picture of her family's existence before the war to contrast with what they endured during the war. She shares her purpose in life now, finding her voice as a way to reconcile surviving when so many others didn't. While it is not the last question in the book, one that really resonates is "Are you able to forgive?" combined with its answer, "This is a question I've thought about often, until I realised that you do not have to think in those terms. What has been done may not be undone, time cannot be turned back, those who are gone will never come again. Today we have to look to the future. What we can do today is work to make sure that it never happens again." Words we would all do to remember forever. This is not a traditionally written memoir and it is clearly geared towards younger readers. The format makes it easy to dip and out of but also easy to set aside for a while. It is simply written and described and there's no linear narrative but as one woman's first person experiences and feelings, it is invaluable.
    • 5/5
      Hédi Fried is a ninety four year old Holocaust survivor. She has spent her life talking and holding lectures for young people, answering their questions about life in the concentration camps.She stresses that “there are no dumb questions” and that she’ll answer as truthfully as she can. The questions are many and wide-ranging from “Were you always hungry” to “Were you raped” and dozens in between. This isn’t a long or big book but there is so much feeling and wisdom inside the pages. This is a book that I recommend to those who have so many questions about the Holocaust and the concentration camps that they’re just not able to ask someone who survived.
    • 4/5
      Definitely a great book for young readers who are just getting interested in the holocaust. Hedi answers many of the FAQs that this audience asked when she gives her talks. The holocaust as a part of our youths education is so important. It carries in the history and makes sure that we never forget. I would definitely suggest this to parents and kids who come into the store looking for beginning books about the holocaust.
    • 5/5
      It is so important to read this book and to remember our history, especially now. The horrors this woman and her sister went through are unimaginable and difficult to read about. But that doesn't mean one should shield themselves from this horrific time in history. Written conversationally, but a hard read.
    • 5/5
      Even though I've heard many stories about the Holocaust over the years, reading this first person account was very moving. This woman and her sister lost their parents, yet they survived. I can't imagine how hard that would have been. History of all kinds needs to be remembered and learned from, in hopes that the bad parts do not repeat. I received Questions I Am Asked About The Holocaust by Hedi Fried as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program in exchange for this review.
    • 4/5
      An interesting, philosophical work. History seems to always repeat itself.
    • 5/5
      This was an extraordinarily emotionally moving book which I read through in one sitting. All questions were fair game to this author. All answers were told simply so that the reader could easily understand what she felt through the experiences she had in her lifetime. The author does not shy away from talking about aging, death, and the current start of affairs in our world where we now see increasing intolerance among people. I found this book very inspirational and stopped many times to write down the words of Hedi Fried as well as other notable individuals she quoted throughout her book,
    • 4/5
      This is an excellent little primer aimed at young people to educate them about the Holocaust. Fried, an Auschwitz survivor, is a psychologist who has lived in Sweden for most of her adult life. This book is a result of her many years of lecturing at schools. It's a quick, enlightening and often moving read about one of the darkest chapters in human history, and the language is simple and age appropriate (translated from the Swedish). It's good enough that I have passed it along to a young friend. I would recommend it highly for ages 12 and up.- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
    • 5/5
      Received this as an ARC copy from Library Thing. A woman who has survived the Holocaust answer questions that she has been receiving from students during many years of lecturing. No questions are off limits covering from where you always hungry? When did you realize you were in danger? to Was there rape in the camps? She answers each question thoroughly and honestly from her viewpoint. She also talks about the current state of affairs and aging. She also talks about not fighting back and becoming apathetic, everything will turn out alright type feelings. Again very well thought out and well written. Seems to be written for high school people but good for someone of any age.
    • 4/5
      A detailed book with answers to questions asked to Hedi, who is a survival of the Holocaust. Hedi is truly a remarkable woman. For many, talking about their survival from the Holocaust is very difficult to share with others or to even think about that terrible experience. Hedi has taken her experience at the labour camps for her to spread awareness to others so that history doesn't repeat it self. She has made many presentations at schools about her survival and how she coped to find her self. This book really goes into extensive details on Hedi's time at the labour camps, her new life after and the person she became. I highly recommend this book. We need to make sure this never happens to anyone ever again.
    • 3/5
      As a book this isn't particularly satisfying - each chapter is the answer to a question ("What was it like having your period at a camp?" "Do you hate the Germans?") and all are maybe 200-500 words, so it's not anything to immerse oneself in. That said, as more of a coffee table book/bit of light reading it's interesting information.I'd likely recommend readers look to more cohesive holocaust memoirs, unless some of the specific questions are interesting to them!
    • 4/5
      An interesting, philosophical work. History seems to always repeat itself.

    Book preview

    Questions I Am Asked About the Holocaust - Hédi Fried

    QUESTIONS I AM ASKED ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST

    HÉDI FRIED (b. 1924) is an author and psychologist. She is deeply committed to working for democratic values and against racism. She was born in the town of Sighet, in Romania, was transported to Auschwitz in 1944, and worked in several labour camps, eventually ending up in Bergen-Belsen. After liberation, she came to Sweden with her sister, and has lived there ever since.

    Her bestselling autobiography, Fragments of a Life: the road to Auschwitz, was published in English and Swedish in the 1990s.

    ALICE E. OLSSON is a literary translator, writer, and editor working across Swedish and English. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Comparative Literature at University College London, specialising in literature and human rights.

    For all the young people around the world

    Scribe Publications

    2 John St, Clerkenwell, London, WC1N 2ES, United Kingdom

    18–20 Edward St, Brunswick, Victoria 3056, Australia

    3754 Pleasant Ave, Suite 100, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55409 USA

    Originally published in Swedish as Frågor jag fått om Förintelsen

    by Natur & Kultur in 2017

    Published by agreement with Partners in Stories Stockholm AB

    First published in English by Scribe in 2019

    Text copyright © Hédi Fried 2017

    Translation copyright © Alice E. Olsson 2019

    All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publishers of this book.

    The moral rights of the author and translator have been asserted.

    9781911617778 (UK edition)

    9781925713800 (Australian edition)

    9781947534599 (US edition)

    9781925693447 (e-book)

    CiP records for this title are available from the British Library and the National Library of Australia.

    scribepublications.co.uk

    scribepublications.com.au

    scribepublications.com

    När sorgen kommer, som när natten skymmer

    i vilda skogen, där en man går vill,

    vem tror på ljuset, som i fjärran rymmer,

    Och sken som skymta fram och flämta till?

    På skämt de glimta och på skämt de flykta,

    vem tar en lyktman för en man med lykta?

    When sorrow comes, as when night falls

    in the wild woods, where a man goes astray,

    who believes in the light that in the distance calls,

    And the glow that appears and then fades away?

    In jest does it fade and in jest does it burn,

    who takes a lantern-man for a man with a lantern?

    ‘Solace’, Gustaf Fröding,

    translated by Alice E. Olsson

    Contents

    Preface

    ‘What is the worst thing that has happened to you?’

    ‘Why did Hitler hate the Jews?’

    ‘What was your life like before the war?’

    ‘When did you realise that your family was in danger?’

    ‘How could an entire people get behind Hitler?’

    ‘Why did you not fight back?’

    ‘What do you remember from your arrival in Auschwitz?’

    ‘What did it mean to have your sister with you in the camps?’

    ‘What was it like to live in the camps?’

    ‘Were you always hungry?’

    ‘What languages were spoken in Auschwitz?’

    ‘What helped you to survive?’

    ‘Was there solidarity in the camp?’

    ‘What was it like to be a woman in the camps?’

    ‘What was it like to have your period?’

    ‘Were you raped?’

    ‘Were you afraid of death?’

    ‘How were you dressed?’

    ‘Did you get ill?’

    ‘Were there kind SS soldiers?’

    ‘Did you dream at night?’

    ‘What was the best?’

    ‘When did you realise that there was a genocide happening?’

    ‘How did you picture your life after the war?’

    ‘What happened to your sister?’

    ‘How many people from your hometown survived the war?’

    ‘Were you jubilant when you were liberated?’

    ‘Why did you choose Sweden?’

    ‘How were you received in Sweden?’

    ‘How did you deal with your trauma?’

    ‘What made you start lecturing?’

    ‘Do you feel Swedish?’

    ‘Do you see yourself in today’s refugees?’

    ‘Have you ever been threatened by neo-Nazis?’

    ‘Do you hate the Germans?’

    ‘Have you met a perpetrator?’

    ‘Are you able to forgive?’

    ‘Have you travelled back to your hometown?’

    ‘How often do you think about your time in the camps?’

    ‘How does it feel to grow old?’

    ‘After everything, do you believe in God?’

    ‘What is your view of the future?’

    ‘What can we learn from the Holocaust?’

    ‘Could it happen again?’

    Acknowledgements

    Preface

    Many years have passed since I wrote my autobiography, Fragments of a Life: the road to Auschwitz, and the subsequent books. Since then, I have lectured in schools and universities with the strong conviction that the younger generation must keep the memory of the Holocaust alive if we want to ensure that it is never repeated. What has happened once may unfortunately happen again, if not in exactly the same way. To prevent this, it is important to remember; the past leaves its mark on the present and casts its shadow over the future.

    In the beginning of September 1940, Northern Transylvania was returned to Hungary from Romania. At first, I was in despair. The persecution of Jews began, although there was not yet a direct threat to our lives. It did not take long, however, until news came from Romania that Jews there were being sent to Ukraine, where they were forced to dig their own graves before being shot. Then I was happy that we belonged to Hungary. I grew accustomed to our reduced circumstances, and was glad that we were no longer under Romanian rule. I can still see myself knitting woollen socks for the poor souls who were transported in freezing trains from Romania to Ukraine, in the middle of winter, who had not been allowed to bring any warm clothing. Then came March 1944, the invasion of the Germans, and now I had every reason to mourn that we no longer belonged to Romania. The Romanians did not hand over their Jews to the Germans; instead they were paid $100 for every person who was allowed to leave for Israel.

    In the end, I was one of the lucky ones. I was lucky many times over.

    My luck began at the time of our arrival to Auschwitz, where my sister and I survived the selection and were spared from the gas chambers. Fortuitous events then repeated themselves several times during my year in captivity. Most importantly, I did not end up in one of the worst labour camps.

    From Auschwitz, I was sent to three different labour camps, where we were usually tasked with clearing up among the ruins. Many others were placed in camps where they had to work in shifts in underground factories, mines, or quarries. Several times, I found myself in situations when I was certain that my last moment had come, but something happened, and I survived.

    In the camps, you never knew if a change would mean life or death. Though sometimes you don’t know that in everyday life, either. We live a quiet life, the days go by, we don’t notice anything. The change occurs little by little until the picture is suddenly clear and we wonder: how could this have happened? Life teaches us that everything can change in a moment, and you never know beforehand whether the change is going to lead to something better or worse.

    My school lectures usually consist of three parts, with emphasis on the third. They start with an attempt to portray the people of the past and their living conditions, which contributed to making the Holocaust possible; they continue with the story of my own

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